


A Test of Love

by hyperius



Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics)
Genre: Bruce Wayne is a Good Parent, Domestic Fluff, Family Bonding, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Jason Todd Gets A Hug, Jason Todd Needs A Hug, Jason Todd's Death, Protective Bruce Wayne, is mentioned
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-20
Updated: 2021-01-20
Packaged: 2021-03-18 13:48:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,642
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28868043
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hyperius/pseuds/hyperius
Summary: Bruce knows it’s a test. Bruce knows Jason is doing this to see how he’ll react, but that doesn’t stop the way anger and hurt boiled up into his soul.He just needs to figure out a way to approach the boy without creating any unnecessary drama, or else he risks ruining the precarious truce the two of them currently have. The Bat let out a tired sigh, he can already tell this is going to be a very long night.
Relationships: Jason Todd & Bruce Wayne
Comments: 12
Kudos: 221





	A Test of Love

Bruce knows it’s a test. Bruce knows Jason is doing this to see how he’ll react, but that doesn’t stop the way anger boiled up into his soul. Jason knew how to get under his skin and to pierce his heart. His son still knows what to do to hurt him the most, and he’s more than willing to strike when Bruce upsets him.

This wasn’t one of those moments though. Bruce didn’t do anything to piss off Jason, and neither did Batman. Bruce actually thought they were having a rather nice time prior to whatever this is, so that meant it was not Bruce’s fault, and it was likely not Jason being petty. Bruce even made sure he did nothing wrong - he asked Alfred, and the butler confirmed his lack of sins, so there’s another reason his son is doing this to him. There’s always a reason when it comes to Jason, he just has to figure out what. It’s not revenge, it’s not him being petty, so then what is it?

The only logical conclusion Batman could come up with is that the boy - young man - is trying to get him to notice something or do something. Now he just needs to figure out what it is so he can get Jason to _stop_. He let out a slow and controlled breath, closing his eyes as he counted to ten. This is fine, this is all gonna be fine. Bruce can do this He’s fought Joker, survived and worked though fear gas and Ivy’s poison alike, so this should be a piece of cake.

If only.

The glass memorial was shattered at Bruce’s feet, and a crowbar laid overtop the shattered glass. Bruce knows Jason did it, he just doesn’t know why, but he knows getting upset would do nothing but hurt whatever trust he built between him and his son. No, he needs to be calm about this and preferably, hopefully, have a mature conversation with his son about it. Which, frankly, he was incredibly nervous about. They don’t really do mature conversations a lot. Fortunately, they’ve moved on from screaming and shouting, but they’re still not at the mature conversation level. They’re more at… pretending issues don’t exist, or going through third parties to bitch and fix whatever issues arise.

Not for this, though. This requires talking, and feelings, and fuck. Bruce doesn’t want to deal with any of this, but he has to. He just - he _needs_ to know why Jason would do this to him; would hurt him like this. With another deep breath, he mounted his bat-cycle and headed toward Jason’s safe house, determination glinting in his eyes and pain deep in his soul.

The door to Jason’s safe house was unlocked, as if he was expecting his father to show. With a deep breath, Bruce pushed the door open and he looked around the dim room, spotting his son seated at his kitchen table with two mugs of coffee set out before him. Yeah, he was expecting Bruce.

Closing the door behind him, the father made his way to his son’s table before taking his seat. They sat in silence for a few long moments, Jason refusing to make eye contact and Bruce trying to figure out how to start the conversation without any yelling or accusations.

Disappointment it is. “I’m hurt, Jay,” his voice was purposefully soft, cautious, “I’m really hurt.”

“I know.”

He knows. Of course h knows. They all know how important that memorial is to him, “Then why did you do it?”

He watched his son shift, he watched numerous emotions flicker across Jason’s face as he, too, searched for the proper words. They’re both trying, at the very least. They both want to navigate this conversation without shattering the trust that’s precariously built between them, “I’m hurt too.”

“Why?”

“Your memorial was because I died, but I didn’t stay dead… but the memorial stayed up,” he shrugged, “I mean, I know I wasn’t really the kid who came back but I still did. I still came back.”

It’s true. He did come back, and Bruce is so grateful for that. He’s so happy his boy came back to him. He’s so glad he got his son back, but his death isn’t what the memorial was completely about. It’s about so much more, how could Jason not see that? “I’m so happy you’re back,” he reached out, placing his hand over Jason’s and giving it a tight little squeeze, “The memorial was to remember the horror that happened, and how I failed. How I let you… let Joker… I needed to see my failure to remind myself to never make that mistake again.”

Jason scoffed, “And you had to do that by memorializing my death? The death that didn’t stick? I’m here, Bruce! I’m not dead! So why are you still grieving?!” _Am I not enough?_

Bruce swallowed, staring at his boy. His boy who is alive, and here, and not six feet under. His boy who is begging for him to understand and see him. His boy who just wants to be validated, who wants to be enough. He’s enough, how could he ever think otherwise? How could Bruce ever make him feel otherwise? “Oh, Jayce,” he pushed his chair closer to his son, pulling his boy tightly against his chest in a warm and loving hug, “You have always been enough. You coming back; it was the best day of my life. I was so happy, I still am so happy. Every time I look at you, I thank god for the miracle that brought you back to me,” he hasn’t been perfect, hell, he’s messed up with Jason so many times before. He refuses to add this moment to the list.

“Then why did you have the memorial up for so long?”

Bruce bit his lip, “I… you need to understand, my son still died. My son came back, but the trauma of holding your little, lifeless body in my arms…” of feeling his cold skin, of begging for him to move, to live - begging for the world to let Bruce take his place instead, to feel anger and despair boil through him when Superman had to pry Jason out of his arms because Bruce couldn’t let go - couldn’t let his son go - “It helped me cope. It forced me to remember why I had to fight,” forced him to get out of the cave, as it didn’t allow him to sit alone in his grief, “It forced me to be better, so I wouldn’t make the same mistake twice. Then you came back, and every time I looked at it I, well, it encouraged me to fight for you again. Make sure I’ll never let you go again.”

He heard Jason sniff against his chest, and ignored the tears staining his sweater, “But every time I saw it, it just reminded me of dying and all the pain, I don’t want to remember it.”

He doesn’t want to remember it, which may be why he wasn’t willing to hang around the cave, or the manor. If he’s not there, then he wouldn’t have to see the memorial, after all. But if he does want to hang around the cave more, the manor, then the memorial would be a problem. So destroying it must mean he wants to come home. He wants to come home. _He wants to come home_. Bruce’s breath hitched, and he smiled, “Yeah,” yeah. “You could have come to me, y’know,” his grin wouldn’t falter, “You didn’t have to smash it.”

“I thought asking for forgiveness would be easier.”

“I do forgive you,” he does, because he won’t need the memorial if Jason actually came home. He wouldn’t need to pretend his son never left if he moves back in, “So come back.”

“What?” Jason looked up, eyes red and cheeks wet, “Come back?”

“Yeah, come back home,” Bruce cupped his son’s cheek, “You don’t have to stay away. I’ll clean up the glass and the memorial will be gone. So come back, please. Come back home.”

“I want to,” He could see it in his son’s eyes, the desperation, the longing. He doesn’t want to be alone anymore, and Bruce doesn’t want it either. He wants his Jay back with the family. He wants them to be whole again.

“Then why won’t you?”

Jason let out a humorless chuckle, “We’re better, yeah, but if we live together we’re gonna be back at each other’s throat in no time. I don’t want that either.”

“The manor is big,” Bruce smiled, “We can work through it. The library can be your safe haven, when you need a break, and the office mine. We’ll make it work. And if there’s tension, then one of us can take a little vacation. We just need to try, please Jason. Just try.”

Bruce practically held his breath as he watched his son, watched as his boy thought about whether he’d be willing to make it work or not. Whether he’d be willing to try. Jason spent too much time thinking, for Bruce’s opinion, but he kept quiet. He allowed Jason his time, because he didn’t want to put too much pressure on his boy and scare him off. Of course, in Bruce’s ideal world, Jason would jump on the chance to move back into the manor, hug Bruce tight and say ‘thanks dad.’ Then maybe they’d go to the movie room and binge Star Wars while they cuddled, just like they did during Jason’s Robin years.

However, when Jason finally looked up at Bruce with a soft and sincere smile as he said, “Sure, B. I’m willing to give it a shot,” it was close enough. It was more than enough, actually.

His son is finally coming home.

**Author's Note:**

> Then Jason goes back to the manor and they all live happily ever after. Because they deserve it.


End file.
